Coin tube



April 4, 1967 A. R. FALLY 3,312,336

com TUBE Filed Jan. 13, 1964 INVEN TOR ANTHONY R. FALLY United States Patent Ofitice 3 ,3 12,336 Patented Apr. 4, 1967 3,312,336 COIN TUBE Anthony R. Fally, Chicago, 111., assignor to Whitman Publishing Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Jan. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 337,301 1 Claim. (Ci. 206.82)

This invention relates to a coin tube.

It is an object of this invention to provide a coin tube for the storage of coins and wherein the tube is provided with a removable cap which is substantially air tight with the body portion of the tube.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a coin tube with a removable cap which has special means for retaining the cap on the body portion of the tube such that the cap cannot he accidentally or inadvertently dislodged in its seated position on the body portion.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a coin tube which has a removable cap and a simulated locking means for securing the cap to the tube, and with the additional feature of the tube being transparent for observation of the coins therewithin though the tube has the features mentioned above.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a coin tube with a removable cap wherein the cap and body portion are relatively inexpensive and easily manufactured but nevertheless sturdy in their construction and extremely effective in tightly securing the cap to the body portion to protect the coins from the outside elements such as air and the like.

Other objects and advantages become apparent upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded side elevational view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the tube cap portion shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is the top plan view of the tube body portion shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The drawings show the tube container to consist of a tubular body portion and a tubular cap portion 11 with the latter having a top 12. Likewise the body portion 10 has a bottom indicate-d 13 in FIG. 4. The ma terial for this coin tube is of a transparent material preferably plastic and thus the coins which would be disposed therein would be seen through the tube to determine the contents of the tube.

It is desired that the cap portion 11 be releasably retained with respect to the body portion 10 to keep the air and like outside elements out of the coin tube. Thus the cap portion 11 is telescopically and snugly assembled with the body portion 10 when the two portions are arranged together in the obvious manner of assembly. It will therefore be further understood that the lower edge 14 of the cap portion 11 rests upon the shoulder 16 of the body portion 10 in the assembled position. Still further the thickness of the cap sidewall 17 is equal to the width of the shoulder portion 16 so that the entire exterior of the coin tube is of a uniform diameter throughout the body portion 10 and the cap portion 11 as the two portions align in their outer surfaces. Of course likewise the inner wall 18 of the cap portion 11 is snug with respect to the outer wall 19 of the body portion 10 so that the two are air tight as desired.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of two pins or projections 21 and 22 on the cap portion 11 and two holes 23 and 24 on the body portion 10. Of course the purpose is to have the pins received within the respective holes when the cap is assemble-d with the body portion. The accomplishment of this of course permits the cap to be snug with the body portion 10 and to have the cap tightly secured thereto so that it will not become accidentally loosened or removed. Thus it will be noted that the cap pin 21 is longer than the pin 22, and of course the pin 21 is received in the slot 23 to form a bayonet connection with the slot 23 in the obvious manner of having the pin 21 slide along the slot or hole 23 during the assembly and disassembly of the cap 11 with respect to the body portion 10. 1

Still further it will be noted that the respective pins and holes described are shown to be diametrically opposite each other, and therefore when the pin 21 is fully seated in the inward end 26 of the slot 23, then the pin 22 is seated within the hole 24. Thus FIG. 2 shows that the hole 24 is diametrically opposite the inward end 26 of the hole 23 so that with the pins 21 and 22 diametrically oppositely disposed, then the pins are in the holes when the cap is fully seated on the body portion. The pin 22 being received in the hole 24 provides a lock means for the bayonet connection of the pin 21 in its slot 23 and therefore the cap cannot be readily or inadvertently removed from the body portion.

Of course the pin 21 being disposed in the inner end 26 of the slot 23 prevents direct axial movement of the cap 11 from the body portion 10. Also the pin 22 then being disposed within the hole 24 resists rotational movement of the cap with respect to the body portion 10 and therefore in both of these features the cap is maintained tight with the body portion.

Of course there is a preferred lead angle between the cap wall 18 and the body wall 19 so that the two are initially easily telescoped together and then upon approach of the edge 14 with respect to the shoulder 16, the two walls become tighter together for the air tightness desired. Also it will be understood that the tube material is of a plastic material which is inherently flexible or resilient and therefore the pin or button 22 sliding along the body wall 19 will tend to force inwardly on the latter but the entire end of the tube body portion can contract because of the slot 23 and thus the pin 21 in the slot 23 in the assembly and disassembly operation does not prevent the slight contraction of the tube upper end. Therefore, the pin 22 can readily slide over the wall 19 to seat in the hole 24 when the pin 21 seats in the inward end 26 of the hole 23. Of course neither of the pins 21 or 22 projects into the interior of the body portion 10 to interfere with the coins therein. Also, it will be now obvious that the body portion wall 19 and the interior cylindrical wall of the cap 11 are tapered or at least fitted so that the two can be mated together with the projection or pin 22 readily sliding over the wall 19 in the initial placement of the cap on the body portion. The taper is therefore such that upon continued seating of the cap 11 the cap becomes air tight with the wall 19 of the body portion and in fact the end length of the body portion defined by the wall 19 can flex inwardly as the bayonet type of slot 23 closes through the inward force exerted by the pin 22 and the cap 11. This therefore permits the placement of the cap on the body portion and results in the air-tight relationship therebetween.

While a specific embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it should be obvious that certain changes can be made, and the invention should, therefore, be determined only by the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A coin tube comprising a tubular body portion and a tubular cap portion air-tightly telescopically mated over the open end of said body portion and said portions being releasably secured together through a connection therebetween, said body portion being flexible in the length thereof covered by said cap portion for flexing to adjust to fitting with said cap portion in the placement and removal of the latter, said connection including two pins and two openings for receiving said pins in mated pairs on diametrically opposite sides of said portions, one of said openings being a slot extending from the edge of said body portion and With said one being adapted to slidably receive one of said pins on said cap portion and arranged therewith in the nature of a bayonet connection upon assembly and disassembly of said cap portion with said body portion, and the other of said openings being a pin hole fully spaced from said edge and adapted and located to snugly receive the other of said pins when said one of said pins is disposed in the inward end of said slot and thereby releasably secure said bayonet connection.

References Cited by the Examiner THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Examiner. V 

